GREEN LANTERN SHINES — BUT NOT BRIGHTLY
June 19, 2011 by admin · Leave a Comment
Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern entered the crowded field of summer superhero blockbusters and busted no blocks. The film starring Ryan Reynolds debuted at the low end of analysts’ predictions with an estimated $52.7 million, good enough for No. 1, but a pyrrhic victory nonetheless, given its estimated budget of $150-200 million. The reviews were mostly terrible — although many critics had nice things to say about Reynolds’ performance — and audiences seemed to agree. On Saturday, when business usually rises over Friday for most new movies, ticket sales dropped 22 percent, the Associated Press observed today (Sunday), noting: “That’s often a sign that a movie lacks staying power.” (In other words, it’s an indication that word-of-mouth about the movie is not good.) Daily Variety noted that only 45 percent of the total audience bought tickets to see Green Lantern in 3D, in line with other 3D releases this year, but down considerably from last year’s 3D films. The only other new release to open wide over the weekend, the 2D Mr. Popper’s Penguins, starring Jim Carrey and six penguins, actually performed significantly better than expected. The movie earned $18.2 million, far better than the $10-15 million that had been forecast, putting it in third place behind the second week of Super 8, which dropped a modest 40 percent to $21.3 million.
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Box Office Mojo:
1. Green Lantern, $52.7 million; 2. Super 8, $21.3 million; 3. Mr. Popper’s Penguins, $18.2 million; 4. X-Men: First Class, $11.5 million; 5. The Hangover Part II, $9.6 million; 6. Kung Fu Panda 2, $8.7 million; 7. Bridesmaids, $7.5 million; 8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, $6.2 million; 9. Midnight in Paris, $5.2 million; 10. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, $2.2 million.
UPDATE
Final Figures for the Top Five Films
1. Green Lantern, $53,174,303
2. Super 8, $21,472,020
3. Mr. Popper’s Penguins, $18,445,355
4. X-Men: First Class, $11,933,524
5. The Hangover Part II, $10,071,339
